


Be My Baby

by emarwood



Series: Daddy [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bad Parenting, Bathing/Washing, Beating, Cruelty, Crying, Gentle Snape, Good Severus Snape, I Made Myself Cry, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter), Other, Redeemed Dudley Dursley, Regret, Starvation, Stubborn Harry Potter, Sunburn, Sunstroke, Tearjerker, Tears, Vulnerability, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-04 20:16:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14600889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emarwood/pseuds/emarwood
Summary: Harry is having an awful summer, abandoned back with the relatives he had thought he had seen the back of and abused worse than ever.  But he has to stay where he is... right?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> Rating due to references of violence

The sun is beating hard down on the back of his neck as Harry Potter, the so called boy who lived famous throughout the whole of the wizarding world, dug out the weeds that dared blight his Aunt Petunias back garden.  Kneeling down on the hard earth scrabbling at the baked dirt with his bare hands his nails cracking if not already cracked from the compact dirt, his skin bruised, sore and splitting with the work, yet he does not stop.  Anybody looking out at him would think that he was absorbed in his work and obviously enjoyed it, though they might wonder at the fact that he has no garden tools to work with.  
He knows that his face and neck is sun burned and probably pealing already yet he dare not stop.  He is desperate for a glass of ice cold water as his head swims with the heat.  Moving methodically along the border he looks to see how much he has managed to do and idly wonders if he will get to eat anything today.  
Harry knows it is nearly midday he can smell the roast dinner that his Aunt is making, his stomach aches for so much as a taste of a crumb of potato having had nothing for breakfast.  Hearing the doorbell Harry ignores it, knowing it has nothing to do with him and carries on working diligently despite the sorry state of his hands and despite his knees and back hurting him.

Retuning back to the Dursleys after the end of the war after he had thought that they had finally parted ways has been hell.  Uncle Vernon had took one look at Harry, after he had been left in their sitting room by the order of the phoenix, where he and his family were just sitting down to watch the television, noticed Harrys growth spurt and the muscles he had gained being away from them.  He took off his belt and proceeded to tan him good, taking out his frustration of having him back in his life, in his home and for daring to bring other likeminded freaks into his home.  
However one good thing did come out of it, Dudley was now decent to him.  That night as Harry lay on his front on the pitiful bed in the smallest bedroom inside number four Privet Drive, trying to keep his sobs down so that his Aunt and Uncle could not hear him his cousin let himself into the room with water, pain killers, a wet rag and some food.  ‘I’m sorry.’  He had muttered as he had attended to him.  
Dudley has been helping him out as much as he could since.

sss

Just as he is wondering if he could sneak to the outdoor tap, only there for the hosepipe, to swig down a mouth full of water he feels the unmistakable tingle across the nape of his neck alerting him to somebodies eyes on him.  He sighs and concentrates on not swaying on the spot and falling splat on his face.   
‘What exactly do you mean by this?’  
Harry whips around so fast his neck cracks, what is Professor Snape doing here?  ‘Snape?’  He gapes up at the wizard standing in his Aunt and Uncles back door wearing his teachers robe.  ‘Dursley care to explain?’   
‘The boy enjoys playing with dirt.’  His Uncle grunts sneering at Harry.  ‘Get up boy.’  He hisses toward him, he does so quickly knowing that if he does not he will get the belt again, his Uncle had enjoyed the first experience so much he has found any excuse to use it over and over again.  Snape narrows his eyes however says nothing looking at Harry with his usual contempt.

‘Potter, show me your room.’  The potion master snaps.   
‘My room?’  He narrows his eyes confused, he blinks and feels like the world is swaying making him tilt dangerously.  ‘Your bedroom, I haven’t got all day Potter.’  Looking to his Uncle for guidance to see how he should act, noting the tiny nod he heads inside and leads the way upstairs.  Pushing the door open he lets Snape enter first then proceeds to hover in the door way feeling self-conscious.

‘I might have known.’  The man sneers as he looks vaguely around the room taking in all the clutter of every broken toy, electronic device and musical instrument that Dudley has ever had, not forgetting the full book shelf of pristine books that Dudley has never had any inclination to read.  
‘Why are you here?’  He finally asks tired and sore and just wanting this day to be over.   
‘Don’t be obtuse Potter; it has obviously finally fallen to me to make sure your welfare is being taken care of.’   
‘My welfare?’  He is flabbergasted, what is the man talking about?  ‘What are you talking about?’  Those dark eyes narrow at him yet again it is clear that he is thinking that Harry is messing with him.

Feeling his glasses sliding down his nose he reaches up to move them back, Snape who had opened his mouth to no doubt say something scathing, closes it again and moves closer to him.  He grabs hold of Harrys arm and pulls it up so that he can see his hand.  He tries to pull his arm back, however his professor has a good grip and his muscle that was hard won from his year on the run and hunting Horcruxes has waned from not having enough food to eat. 

His Professor keeps hold of his arm as he re-examines the room actually looking at it this time.  ‘You sleep here Potter?’  Harry nods trying to tug his arm away Snape does not notice but drops his arm anyway and marches out.  ‘It’s better than the cupboard.’  Harry shrugs to himself leaning against the bedroom wall for support, he really does need something to eat and drink soon.   
‘Dursley.’  Snape shouts.  ‘What is the meaning of this?’  Harry closes his eyes in shame and allows himself to slide down the wall to sit on the floor and deliberately tunes out all the voices in the house letting his forehead fall onto his knees.

Feeling the gentle pressure of a hand on his shoulder Harry looks up and is surprised to not only see Snape still there but also looking down at him without scorn.  ‘Come on Potter.’  Holding out his hand to him, Harry does not realise that he has taken it until he is standing back on his own two feet again, so stunned was he.  ‘Pack your things, hurry now I haven’t got all day.’  
‘Why?’  He stands there feeling out of it.   
‘You are not staying here anymore, now get to it.’  Stumbling towards his bed he quickly grabs the few t shirts and trousers that he has left draped over the bed frame.  He grabs the small collection of school books that he was reading in order to remind him of the magical world and places them in the trunk that he had pushed underneath his bed to store it, after pulling it out with a lot of huffing and puffing.  He is leaving, actually leaving.  ‘Leaving for good?’  He wonders out loud.   
‘You are never going to have to see them again.’  Snape says confidently.   
‘Dudley has been good to me this summer…’  
‘If you wish him to visit, that may be arranged, however if you could finish packing.’  
‘I have finished.’

Snape shepherds Harry out of the room and down the stairs having spelled his trunk lighter and shrunk and put it in his pocket for safe keeping.  ‘Wait, I nearly forgot.’  Harry walks away from the Professor and opens the door for the cupboard underneath the stairs and crawls in.   
‘What in the name of Salazar Slytherin are you doing Potter?’  He does not answer the man but continues feeling his way around in the dark until he finds what he is looking for and crawls back out covered in sawdust from the stairs and cobwebs smiling in triumph.  ‘You are a state Potter.’  Harry feels the tell-tale buff of a cleaning spell taking care of it and the dust of the earth from working all morning outside in the garden.  ‘What is that thing?’  
‘It’s Ted.’  Harry smiles hugging the filthy, old thing, tightly in his arms as if he will never let go of the beloved rag of a teddy bear ever again.  ‘I can’t believe I almost forgot him, I’m ready now.’  
‘Bye Harry, you will be alright, won’t you?’  Harry nods at his cousin.   
‘Thanks big D.’ Dudley shuffles awkwardly, then looking toward his clearly disapproving parents he stiffens his shoulders and wraps his arms defiantly around Harrys skinny frame.  ‘If you need to get away call me, I’ll come get you.  I won’t bring you back here, promise.’  Harry feels the Dudley slip a piece of card in his pocket, no doubt one of the cards he got printed up with his mobile phone number on it that he had made to give to his friends.  ‘Thanks Dud.’ 

Finally free and standing on the door step of the house in the afternoon light Harry can see the curtains twitching, no doubt his Aunt and Uncle watching to see if he really is going. ‘That thing is the most disgusting thing I have ever had the misfortune to see Mr Potter.’  Severus indicates the much loved keep sake; Harry says nothing and just hugs the filthy teddy bear even closer.  ‘Where did you get it from anyway?’    
‘It was something that was left with me when I was a baby, I hid it when I realised that Aunt Petunia was going to throw him.  He’s all I have left of my life before the Dursleys.’ Snape looks at the little thing his eyes narrowed in contemplation and if his lips twitch slightly then Harry is at a loss as to why.  ‘At least let me clean it up a bit.’  He flicks his wand.   
‘Ted!  Look what you’ve done to him.’  Harry cries in distress as it would seem a lot of the dirt was keeping, an eye, part of an ear and certain patches of fabric over the distressed innards in place.   
‘He can be repaid; I have enough material to fix him like new.’  Harry glances at the potions master in contemplation.   
‘I am going to side along  apparate you now.’  Snape announces before putting his arm around the shoulders of the visibly swaying boy.  Harry finds himself stepping closer to him, then the feeling of being squeezed through a tight rubber tube then nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.

Acting on instinct to take them as far away from Privet Drive as quickly as he possibly could Severus Snape took them both to the first place he could think of.  Having appareted them both to the gates of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry Mr Potter immediately upon arriving had proceeded to collapse in his arms, the Potions Master did nothing more than gather him up and carry him like a babe, all the way to his rooms without thinking whether he should or not.

He did not call Poppy the schools own private matron, to attend the young man nor did he call for anybody else despite his comatose state.  Instead he used his own knowledge of the healing arts casting healing spells over his sun burned face and neck and healing his bloody hands.  
Maybe it was a sense of guilt of how he had treated him over the years, maybe a sense of obligation, whatever the reason Severus Snape treated Harry Potter for heat stroke.  The pain from the sun burn and dulled the bright red to a dull brown by himself.

Harry wakened a few times in the first twenty four hours of entering a life without the Dursely family, each time he did he woke crying sobbing into his pillow.  Severus came to him each time soothing and calming him which left the usually sober man feeling oddly content.

sss

The next day Severus decided that it is finally beyond time that the young man to have something to eat and have a bath.  The boy is starting to smell and has clearly been under fed while he was staying at his relatives, he could feel his ribs poking out when rubbing his back for goodness sake.  Plus the bedding needs changing.  ‘Potter, come on now you must want something to eat.’  The smell of bacon so close to him makes Harry groan.  It smells so good however he is unable to draw up the energy to do anything about it.

He had tried to get the boy to eat several times during the day; however the boy was either far too stubborn or still more likely still suffering from the results of far too much sun.  ‘At least have something to drink.’  Snape finally snaps sitting down next to Harry on the bed that he has placed him in fully dressed, puts his arm around him holding him up, with a glass of milk in his other hand close to Harrys lips as if he is some kind of invalid, into which he had added a hydration booster potion.  However Harry does not have the energy to complain.  He rolls his eyes and starts to drink.

‘Better?’  Harry nods and bites his lip still visibly a little bit groggy, now what?  ‘I am going to run a bath for you through there, to the right.’  Snape indicates the only door in the room.  ‘If you are not there in five minutes I will come and get you and bathe you top to bottom personally.’  Harry scowls.  ‘No arguments, just do as you are told.’

He does as he is told, only because the idea of Snape coming to get him for a bath bothers him despite how he seems to have undergone a complete personality transplant.  Walking into the bathroom his eyes widen in shock.  ‘What in Salazars great domain is the matter now Mr Potter?’  
‘Bubbles.’  He nods at the bath that is nearly over flowing with the white soft looking pillows of the stuff.  ‘You make it sound like you have never had a bubble bath in your life Potter.’  
‘Only once… Hogwarts, prefect bathroom, didn’t know what all the taps were for.  Bubbles are only for good boys.’   Harry steps forward wearily and eyes the bath distrustfully as if afraid that this is just some big prank and the soft foam is going to be whisked away or just suddenly vanish.

‘It will not bite Potter, step out of those clothes so that I can put them in the wash now hurry up.’  Harrys checks go pink with the thought of undressing in front of his potions professor and hugs himself for want of something to do as he looks at the inviting bubble bath.  The water steaming invitingly the bubbles themselves shifting and popping; he does not see Snapes expression.

Snape takes hold of Harrys arms and pulls them to his side and slowly and methodically diverts him of his clothing.  Harry shivers as Snape helps him into the bath.

‘Lean forward for me and I will wash your back then leave you to it.’  Hugging his legs he rests his forehead against his knees feeling ashamed of how he looks.  All skin and bone and covered in scars from his many beatings from Uncle Vernon.  He closes his eyes as a soapy sponge is dragged gently and systematically down his back down every one of his newly acquired scars from Uncle Vernons belt.

A kind hand on his shoulder brings him back to himself and it is only then he realises that he is crying.  ‘I’m sorry.’  He sniffs trying to stem his tears straightening his shoulders only to be folded into an embrace so sweet he cries as he has never cried before.  Wrapping his own arms around the dower potion masters shoulders as the man kneels next to the tub; he lets the man tuck his head into the crook of his neck.  Harry sobs like the small child he never got to be as Severus Snape holds him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.

Climbing out of bed dressed in nothing more than his pristine too large t-shirt that Snape had given him to sleep in as he had decided that what little clothing Harry has got, all being second hand via Dudley, is unsuitable.  He slips on the slippers that Snape had made sure he had since he has never owned a pair before, before tucking him back into bed as if he were a small child.  
He pads his way to the small kitchenette feeling, dare he think it?  Cared and looked after for the first time in what feels like forever.  He stops just outside of the open door as he registers the fact that Snape is talking to somebody.  
‘No, I will not allow it.  The way they have treated the boy… he may stay here for as long as he wishes if it keeps him safe.’  
‘Absolutely not, though admirable of you, it is completely inappropriate, Harry Potter must return to his family.’  
‘And just how are you going to make him do that Professor McGonagall?’   
‘Don’t call me that Severus I thought we were friends as well as colleagues.  We must honour the contract forged under former headmaster Albus Dumbledore, you know this.’

Harry immediately sees red.  ‘You can’t make me go back, I won’t go back you can’t make me.’  He cries out stomping into the kitchenette in his cotton soft lion shaped slippers a fist resting on his hip and glaring at his once loved head of house.  
‘Now be reasonable Harry, you can’t stay here.’  
‘Why can’t I?  Severus says I can, so I will, I’ll do anything if it means I can stay with him and not go back to them please don’t make me go back.’  Harry blinks back tears as Snape stands up and hugs him as Minerva McGonagall gapes at the display.  ‘We will find a way, do not worry I promised you that you would never have to see them ever again.  I intend to keep that promise, I am many things but I am always first and foremost a man of my word.’

Severus guides Harry to a chair and leaves him to pout for a minute while he dishes up something into a deep bowl.  He puts it in front of him.  ‘Eat up.’  
‘What is it?’  Harry asks poking it with a spoon.  
‘Have you never had porridge before?’   
‘Dudley used to talk about it while I did my morning chores… he used to brag about eating it with chocolate.’  He tries a little bit from the end of his spoon and shrugs, the taste is inoffensive.  Severus leaves the table again and begins to potter in his cupboards.  
‘I apologise for the lack of condiments Mr Potter, however if I may?’  Severus approaches and scatters some raisins some brown sugar and a sprinkling of cinnamon into the dish.  ‘Give that a mix and try it like that.’  After trying a tiny bite Harry tucks in with gusto.

‘Harry, you must understand, I don’t want to send you back to the Durselys.  However a contract is a contract…’  Harry glares at Professor McGonagall over the rim of his bowl that he has cupped in one hand and brought close to his face as he shovels his breakfast.  ‘Put the bowl down Potter and eat properly.’  
‘Yes Sir.  It’s really good, thank you.’  
‘You’re welcome.’  
‘Professor McGonagall what if Professor Snape adopted me for the remainder of the time I’m contracted to stay at my Aunt and Uncles?’  
‘Harry you are seventeen years old, the courts will see if for what it is, an avoidance of contractual obligations, making any adoption nil and void.’  Harry huffs.  
‘If only there’s a way to de age me, then Snape or anyone else for that matter if he doesn’t want to could adopt me.’  He pouts blowing his wayward hair away from his face.  
‘There is a potion that can do just that, and what makes you think that I would not want to adopt you?’

‘Are you sure about this Harry?’  Headmistress Minerva McGonagall frets twisting her hands in nervous anticipation.  ‘Where do I sign?’  Harry grins.  
‘Hold your horses, before we even think about doing this young man you need to understand what it is you would be letting yourself in for.  Also this is a discussion for when we are all washed up and fully dressed.’  Snape points out far too reasonably in Harrys’ personal opinion.  ‘Fine.’  He stands up and begins to march out of the room.  ‘But when I am back we will discuss this.’  He wiggles his toes in the soft confines of the slippers enjoying how they feel on his feet.

sss

‘So how does this work?’  
‘This potion is one of a kind and the closest any witch or wizard that has ever lived, including and not limited to Merlin himself, has come close to perfecting de aging.  It has been known to completely de age somebody into a babe.  However aging back has never happened the same way twice.  Some witches and wizards have known to be stuck in one age bracket for several years and others age by the hour.  Needless to say you will return to the age you are presently eventually however it is non-calculable as to when.  You may well be stuck with me for many years so you may want to think on that before you rush into such a commitment.’  Snape raises his eyebrows at the eagerness of the foolish Gryffindor.  ‘Also aging back is never straight forward, it is nonlinear you could for instance turn from three to thirteen to six and back to three again.  Remember this potion works against nature not one witch or wizard, squib nor muggle will likely be able to master it perfectly.  You need to think about this properly and not rush into it head first.’

sss

‘Get into bed now.’  
‘I don’t want to, not tired.’  Harry supresses a yawn.  
‘Do not make me repeat myself young man.’  
‘I’m not a child yet Severus.’  
‘Well do not act like one then and climb in.’ Harry huffs and blows at his hair again.  ‘Get.’  He shuffles his feet.  ‘I will spank you do not think that I will not.  Since you are acting like a child I have no problem treating you like one.’

Sliding his feet out of the super soft lion slippers made specially for him, Harry crawls into the bed his back to the potion master.  ‘Less of the attitude young man.’  
‘But it’s only eight o’clock.  I never go to bed this early.’    
‘Yes well, under my rules you do.  You have had a lot to take in today.  Trust me, you need your sleep, I know you have not been sleeping well, your body needs time to heal and to do so effectively is to sleep.’  Harry pouts.  
‘Severus…’ he fiddles with the duvet and waits for the man to sit down on the bed, ‘thank you.  You know for… well everything.  I know I have not always been the most grateful of everything you have tried to do for me…’  
‘Where is this coming from Potter?’  Harry shrugs and finally lies down allowing Snape to tuck him in.  ‘Why me Potter, and not the Weasleys or any other of your friends’ families for that instance?’ Harry shrugs as he closes his eyes.  ‘You made Ted for me, you also fixed him up.’  He smiles softly at the memory of this revelation; remembering watching Snape gather all the bits and bobs and bringing Ted back to life again then straight away after making his slippers for him.  
‘I guess, maybe if things had worked out different…’ he mumbles as sleep starts to claim him as he turns on his side.  He starts to slip into the gentle hands of sleep, ‘…there’s a chance, you might have been my dad.  You already seem to be good at it already.’  He mutters yawning and he is out like a light despite his protestations before that he was not tired.

Severus Snape looks down at the sleeping young boy clutching his newly fixed and brand new looking teddy thanks to his skills with a needle and thread.  A lump lodged in his throat at his words, he tucks a lock of hair behind his ear and leaves a kiss on his forehead.  ‘Oh Lils,’ he sighs, ‘you have no idea how much I wish things had turned out differently, how I wish I behaved differently.  Why did I allow Potter to get to me so much that I lashed out at you then your son in turn?’ 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.

‘Severus is everything alright?’  Harry tentatively knocks on the potion masters’ bedroom door.  ‘It’s just Professor McGonagall is here, apparently you’ve missed a staff meeting.’  Opening the door a crack he peaks in.  ‘Also… its ten thirty, and I know we’ve been getting along rather well lately, what with us planning for you to adopt me and everything.  But I know you don’t like people snooping, so I’ve not made breakfast… not sure if it would be alright and I’m kinda hungry.’  
‘I’m sorry Harry, I will be up in a minute.’  
‘Have you been crying?’  He runs up to the bed and bites his lip unsure of himself as Snape turns over hiding his face.  Siting on the bed and thinking about how caring and wonderful he has been to him so far.  He gulps, gathers all of his Gryffindor courage and takes a risk, he lies down on the bed curling himself around the mans body while wrapping his arms around him.  ‘I know it probably hasn’t got nothing to do with me, but if it is my fault I’m sorry.’  
‘How can you possibly forgive me enough to put your life in my hands, it was because of me that you needed the contract with the Durselys in the first place.’  
‘No.  Not your fault, that fault lies with Tom Riddle.  His actions not yours.’  
‘However if I had never joined the Death eaters all of it may never have happened.’  
‘I didn’t realise we were having a pity party in here Professor Snape.  Forget I was here did you Mr Potter?’

‘No Professor McGonagall, Severus was just, and I wanted…’  
‘Oh for goodness sake Minerva,’ the man shifts round to glare at the woman, ‘the child was being considerate, take that rod from up your arse, unclench and uncross your arms.  That look makes you look like a Victorian nanny with constipation.’  
‘I resent that.’  She mutters, incidentally while uncrossing her arms… begrudgingly.  
Severus hugs Harry back as he turns fully round to face him properly and drops a kiss on the top of his head.  ‘I am up now, have you brushed your teeth?  Brunch will be ready shortly.’

sss

‘I’ve never had brunch before.  What kind of foods do people eat for brunch?  What does brunch mean exactly?  When exactly are we going to talk about the potion that will de age me?’  He bounces with excess energy full of energy and excitement watching as Severus Snape puts the kettle on and heads for the fridge.  
Snape chuckles at Harrys’ enthusiasm as he ignores his colleague whom is making a point to stand there making her presence well and truly known despite Harrys’ antics.  ‘We will be having a bacon buttie while I will have coffee and you will have milk, you need more calcium in your diet young man.  Brunch is the term used when you eat a meal in place of breakfast and lunch.  Now go get dressed time for pyjamas are long gone.’

sss

Professor McGonagall pacing the length of the sitting room in agitation glares at Snape before clicking her tongue.  When the man fails to respond she sighs and stops still and addresses him directly.  ‘Just how exactly do you plan to get permission to brew sicut et prius exactly?  You know it is highly regulated due to one very important ingredient.’  Harrys eyes widen in worry.  
‘What ingredient is that?’  He asks looking between Snape and McGonagall as if watching a tennis match.  ‘Do not worry about it Harry, I will take care of it.’  
‘Severus…’   
‘McGonagall, I said I will take care of it.  Do not concern your wise little whiskers about it, it will all be legal and above board.’  
‘But the tear of the unicorn…’  
‘…is accessible to me via a very reliable and legal source…’  
‘Unicorn tear?  What makes a unicorn cry and how can you possibly get close enough to one to collect tears?’  Harry worries seeing his possible happiness disappear yet again.  Curled up on the sofa his lion slippered feet under his bum his eyes down cast he does not see the look of chagrin that Severus sends the witch.

Sitting next to the teen Severus wraps his arms around him and scoops him up into his lap.  ‘I am so ready for you to become my guardian.’  Harry mutters sadly as he buries his face against Severus chest.  
‘You seem to forget Harry, that we have an excellent game keeper here at Hogwarts and a herd of unicorns within our very grounds.’  He whispers in his ear, Harry sniffles as he wraps his own arms around Severus middle as he allows himself to be comforted. 

‘Forgive me, though I will not be the last person to ask this once the news gets out.  However you both should at least understand my confusion.  Until this summer is has been quite clear that the both of you clearly hated each other and barely tolerated the other; what can possibly have happened to change things and so quickly?  
Also just how do you expect _anyone_ to get close enough to the pure white that the tear needs to be harvested from in the first place?’

sss

The vial that the potion is contained sits on the coffee table in the middle of the room just sitting there looking for interests and purposes as an innocent looking object.  Yet Harry knows that with taking this very potion his life is going to change and as much as he is ready for a regular childhood, which he knows what with how Severus has been looking after him for the past week the man is able to give him.  There is still a very small part of him that wonders if he is doing the right thing.  
Severus Snape become a parent to him, his father James Potter died in the effort to save him from Voldermort that this man used to support, hatted Snape so much he used to bully him in his youth, and Harry knows things did not improve much since then, when they had left Hogwarts to fight someone else’s war.  ‘You do not have to do this you know Harry, nobody is forcing you to.  There are other ways that I can fight the contract with your Aunt and Uncle.  You can still stay here if you wish you have no obligations to anyone, let alone me.’  The comforting hand rubbing his back along with those kind words assures him that he is doing the right thing.  Plus, he just knows that his dad would have wanted Harry to have this… even if not particularly with Severus Snape; however that is not for him to decide.

‘I want to do this, I’m just nervous.’  Harry turns to face the least likely person in the world that he would guess would want to be a father to him.  ‘Um…’  His face flushes as he begins to bite his lower lip.  ‘You can ask me anything Harry, I will answer you honestly, I always have.  Ask as many questions as you need.  We do not have to do this, this evening, the potion will keep.  Also you are perfectly in your right to change your mind.’  
‘I know, I just wanted… it’s just… will I remember everything I have already lived through?’  The dark enquiring eyes soften as the deep green oceans search them.

‘Yes you will, however your memories will compartmentalize themselves due to what you actually experienced at that particular age the first time around.  For example, let us say that you become eleven upon taking the potion.  You will still know what the outcome of the war was and what happed during the main battle and what have you and everything since and before that time.  However because of the potion your mind will be primarily be drawn to the events that you experienced at eleven years old, they will be your surface memories that will help keep you in the mind set of an eleven year old.  You will not think as if what has happened the first time around is brand new and only just experienced, you will know it as the memory it is and will know the difference between the eleven old you have become from taking the potion and the eleven year old you were before.  We know this as fact, from the centuries upon centuries that this potion has been in the making; these are the one consistent truth from each and every one of the experimentations with de-aging.’  Harry nods and gulps.

‘Then I am ready.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Latin - Sicut et prius  
> Translation - Like as before

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters herein are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No copyright infringement is intended.


End file.
